Baked Tilapia Recipe with Pecan Rosemary Topping

It’s a testament to how my brain works that 95% of my memories of living in New York City revolve around food. One of our favorite haunts was Union Square. From the Smiling Pumpkin Ale at Heartland Brewery to the abundance of fresh, local vegetables at the Greenmarket, it had a “food lovers” vibe about it. Just a couple of skips away from the square is the Union Square Cafe, a New York City institution.

My husband and I enjoyed a couple of wonderful meals at the Union Square Cafe, but the real reason I’m telling you all of this is to get to one of the most modest dishes…well, snacks…served at the restaurant. The bar nuts.
These little nuggets are more flavorful than any roasted nuts I’ve ever come across, and they have become a family favorite. Tossed with olive oil, fresh rosemary, brown sugar and cayenne, these nuts are the perfect partner for a martini or a beer.

When I pulled some tilapia fillets out of the fridge the other day, I was poised to make my usual Baked Tilapia with Arugula Walnuts Pesto & Breadcrumb Crust (a dish that surprisingly makes my kids cheer when I tell them what’s for dinner). However, those bar nuts snuck into my mind and it struck me that those same flavors that make the nuts so addictive would work beautifully as a crust for the tilapia.

This was a hit with all three of my boys, big and little. And really, you can’t beat a flavorful seafood recipes that offers a mere 206.5 calories per serving, and a good dose of healthy fats.

It may not be the same as a trip back to New York City, but it certainly makes for a satisfying meal.

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small baking dish, stir together pecans, breadcrumbs, brown sugar, salt and cayenne pepper. Add the olive oil and toss to coat the pecan mixture.

Bake until the pecan mixture is light golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.

Increase the heat to 400 degrees F. Coat a large glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, whisk the egg white. Working with one tilapia at a time, dip the fish in the egg white and then the pecan mixture, lightly coating each side. Place the fillets in the prepared baking dish.

Press the remaining pecan mixture into the top of the tilapia fillets.

Bake until the tilapia is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve.

In a small baking dish, stir together pecans, breadcrumbs, brown sugar, salt and cayenne pepper. Add the olive oil and toss to coat the pecan mixture.

Bake until the pecan mixture is light golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.

Increase the heat to 400 degrees F. Coat a large glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, whisk the egg white. Working with one tilapia at a time, dip the fish in the egg white and then the pecan mixture, lightly coating each side. Place the fillets in the prepared baking dish.

Press the remaining pecan mixture into the top of the tilapia fillets.

Bake until the tilapia is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve.

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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen those Union Square nuts referenced! They sound alot like a favorite recipe I always make during the holidays, passed down from a work friend. I LOVE that you transferred the flavors to this gorgeous dish using fish!

I’ve had those nuts and they deserve all the hype they get. I love this healthy dinner adaptation. I don’t eat a lot of fish (though I should) and I can’t help but think this would be great on some chicken cutlets!

My family loves tilapia, too, though I have to laugh–my spouse was reading some article that mentioned the fun thing about being a dad was “being able to eat fish sticks again”, so guess what was in the oven when I returned from a weekend-long sled hockey tournament in Grand Rapids? Fish sticks!
What a hoot.
Apparently we like fish in a lot of ways, to include the box of fish sticks as well as the nut-crusted tilapia.

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